


the right thing

by bohemianqueen



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Banter, Episode: s21e06 Murdered at a Bad Address, M/M, Pre-Relationship, reconnecting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 18:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21480871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bohemianqueen/pseuds/bohemianqueen
Summary: Sonny & Isaiah reconnect after they get Carlos released.
Relationships: Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr./Isaiah Holmes
Comments: 11
Kudos: 41





	1. i

Sonny lifted his beer bottle in offering and lifted a corner of his mouth when Isaiah clanked his high ball glass against it. 

“To a job well done.”

“Not bad for a day’s work, counselor,” Isaiah complimented before he brought his glass to his mouth. His eyes were a piercing blue, even in the low light of the bar he’d dragged Sonny into. Rather, Sonny insisted and he finally gave in and steered them in the direction of a bar where he promised they wouldn’t have to worry about playing politics. Sonny had seemed relieved at that and he’d followed behind him without a moment’s hesitation.

“Yeah. A win sure feels nice.” Sonny’s mouth screwed up ruefully and his eyes darted to the side and scanned the crowd. “What convinced you?”

“I know you, Carisi. If I didn’t say yes from the start you’d try to wear me down and probably never let me forget it. Seemed in my best interest.” Isaiah’s mouth lifted up in a faint smile.

“So that’s the only reason. Not because it was the right thing to do?” Sonny pressed as his eyes were drawn back to Isaiah’s face. His fingers held the neck of the bottle in his hand lightly and he let the bottom edge circle slowly against the table.

“I missed that idealism,” Isaiah teased. He sat back in his seat for a moment and readjusted his shirt before pinning Sonny with a look. “I took the case because Carlos deserved to be free, should have never been there, to begin with. It was the least we could do. And it felt good to see justice served two times over.”

“Yeah. This one did end up with a neat bow tied around it, didn’t it?” Sonny lifted his eyebrows and then took a swig of his beer.

Silence descended between them and Isaiah was surprised when Sonny didn’t immediately try to fill it with chatter. The Sonny he knew was brash, energetic, enthusiastic, and suffered from a bad case of foot in mouth disease. This Sonny still had some of all of that, but the less favorable parts were more muted and the more favorable ones were tinged with shades of disappointment and frustration. Isaiah almost hated to see it, as much as he’d grown weary of Sonny’s never-ending questions back in the day. The hope and determination he had had always been a breath of fresh air.

“I have to admit. I was surprised when I heard you were the Manhattan ADA.”

Sonny’s eyebrows lifted again and he exhaled through his nose in a puff of humorless laughter. His lips quirked up again in the imitation of a smile and his chin thrust forward. There was the Sonny he remembered.

“Why’s that? Didn’t think I had what it takes?”

It was hard to tell if he was offended or resigned under the bravado.

“No, I thought you liked being a cop too much.”

Sonny laughed, for real this time, and dropped his chin and his gaze to his beer bottle. He began to pick at the label and when he slumped slightly in his chair Isaiah relaxed again.

“I loved being a detective,” Sonny answered. The small smile on his face echoed as much. “Especially at Manhattan SVU. Yeah, it was a little bumpy in the beginning…” he inclined his head and smiled ruefully again, “but I like to think I got better as the years went. Great squad, too. It was hard to walk away from.”

Isaiah leaned to the side as a waitress with a full tray squeezed next to their table. “So why did you?”

“Because I got tired of seeing the victims not get the justice they deserved.” Sonny’s jaw was set and there was a fierceness in his voice. “Don’t get me wrong. We had great ADAs. Barba. Stone. Cabot before them. But there was a need with Stone out of the picture and it seemed right. If not now, when? I didn’t go to night school just because it looked good on my resume,” he added sarcastically. “I want to make sure the bad guys get what they deserve, the victims get justice so they can sleep at night, and the good guys don’t get locked up because of lazy detective work.”

Isaiah couldn’t stop the genuine smile that crossed his face, even though he hid it a beat later in another sip of his drink. He eyed what appeared to be potato skins on the other table and silently admonished himself. Eating food like that at his age would only mean his brain would be slower than dial-up internet during what was sure to be another slow day tomorrow.

“Quite the rousing speech.”

Sonny rolled his eyes and laughed, using his beer bottle to point at Isaiah briefly.

“How’s Queens treating you.”

“Exactly the way Queens treats everyone else,” Isaiah replied. He still had the smile on his face and he only tried briefly to press his lips into a straight line. This was the most fun he’d had in ages. 

Sonny nodded in concession and looked away again. His eyes tracked the basket of fish and chips being brought by their table.

“I need something to eat,” he announced. “The food here in any good?”

“Not for guy’s our age.”

“Hey now, counselor, I used to run after perps for a living. I’m in great shape.”

“I notice you said /used to/,” Isaiah teased. “I’ve got salmon marinating in my fridge and a bag of salad. Come on.” He nodded at the waitress and brought his wallet out of his pocket. “Let’s get out of here.”


	2. ii

“I’m not too proud to admit that you may have a point about this whole ‘balanced meal’ thing,” Sonny joked as he pushed his chair back from the table incrementally. He stretched a little and smiled appreciatively at Isaiah.

Isaiah arched an eyebrow and smiled in response before picking up his wine and finishing the last sip.

“Oh?”

“May have to break up with my delivery guy.” Sonny flashed another wide smile before gesturing to the plates. “Let me help you clean up.”

“They can go in the dishwasher,” Isaiah replied as he pushed to his feet and snagged Sonny’s empty glass. “We’ll just rinse them off first.”

“Put me to work, boss.” 

Sonny picked up his plate and then Isaiah’s before following him into the kitchen. They worked alongside each other in quiet. Isaiah washed the glasses out by hand and stood them up to dry in the wooden drying rack on his counter. He opened the door to the dishwasher after Sonny finished rinsing the plates and Sonny slotted them in neatly. He turned back to the sink to scoop up the silverware and dropped that in the basket next. Isaiah closed the dishwasher door and leaned his hip against it with a small smile.

“Next time, I’ll cook,” Sonny offered in what was obviously supposed to be an offhand tone as he dried his hands. “I can actually cook…I just haven’t had the time lately.”

“Next time?” Isaiah echoed. 

Sonny hung the dishcloth back on the hook and turned to Isaiah with a careful expression on his face. 

“It’s only fair. You helped me with my case and then cooked.”

“So this is only about doing the right thing?” Isaiah volleyed.

Sonny gave him a long look and then shook his head briefly. He took a step closer to bridge the space between them in the small kitchen. When Isaiah made no move to step away Sonny leaned in slowly and kissed him softly. He stepped back a moment later with an apology already tripping off his tongue.

“Sorry if I…read that wrong.” He brought up a hand to scratch at the back of his neck, gaze pinned to his feet.

In response, Isaiah ducked down to kiss Sonny. He brought a steadying hand to Sonny’s bicep and the kiss went on for longer this time. They were both breathing a little harder when they finally parted.

“Consider that my enthusiastic yes, counselor,” Isaiah offered with an upturn of a corner of his mouth. “Tell your delivery boy it’s going to be awhile before he sees you again. I’m expecting something good.”

Sonny grinned, “you won’t be disappointed.”

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi to me over on tumblr! @carisi-dreams


End file.
